U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019.
Reuters
China does not want a trade war with the United States but will be compelled to take the fight to the world's No.1 economy if President Donald Trump continues to ramp up trade tensions, its commerce ministry said on Wednesday.
"There are no winners in a trade war," the ministry said in a statement. "China does not want one, but the government will never allow the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese people to be harmed or taken away."
The statement accompanied a white paper on U.S.-China commercial ties released by the State Council Information Office, which engages with media on behalf of the government.
The document was issued after Trump's massive duties of 104% took effect on Chinese goods, a step Beijing has described as blackmail and vowed to fight.
"The United States is using tariffs as a tool to exert maximum pressure for selfish gains - this is classic unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying," a ministry spokesperson added.
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